Barrel pump



Sept. 1 1942. R. IWEDEBERG BARREL PUMP 2 sheets-sheet 1 Filed Nov. 15, 1940 jwvewzzzt 5 E in: i "a;

Sept. 1, 1942. 1 2 WEDEBERG BARREL PUMP Filed Nov. 15, 1940 2 SheetS Sheet 2 Merci e26 Zded'eiezy Patented Sept. 1, 1942 UN 1 TE :l:

BARRELFUMP Reuben Wedeberg, Chicago, lll., asslgnor to I Stewart-Warner Corpo corporation of Virginia Application November 15, 1940, Serial No. 865,754

7 Claims.

My invention relates to barrel pumps and more particularly to pumps designed for use with the steel barrels, or drums in which lubricants are commonly shipped.

An object of my invention is the provision of an improved high pressure lubricant compressor which may be inserted in a lubricant containing.

drum and which will be effective in withdrawing viscous and fibrous as well as more fluid lubricants from their drums.

Another object of my invention is the provision of a high pressure lubricant compressor having novel priming means.

ration, Chicago, 111., a

end in a. plate attached to anannular flange 22 which is located on the irmer surface of the flxed part of the housing ill. The end of theother arm l2 rests upon another plate secured to the annular flange 22 and has a downwardly extending pin 24 which projects through a hole in this plate to prevent rotation of the compressor relative to the tube l8.

The housing I0 is provided with a vertically extending air pipe 26 connected at its lower end to a source of compressed air, not shown, while the upper end of this pipe 26 is connected by a Still another object of my invention is to provide an improved lubricant compressor having priming means and novel relief means operating without moving parts to prevent over-primin of the compressor.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a lubricant compressor having novel priming means which maintain the compressor inlet opening at subatmospheric pressure over a longer time interval than pumps heretofore known.- 1

An additional object is the provision of a high pressure lubricant compressor which is simple in construction, inexpensive to manufacture, and

economical and durable in operation. d

Other objects and advantages will appear from the following description and the accompanying drawings, in which:

i l is a side elevational view of a lubricant compressor embodying the present invention, the lubricant drum, the housing therefor, and a portion of the pump being broken away better to show the operating mechanism;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view through thie corgpressor shown in elevation in Fig. 1; and

1%. taken in the direction of the arrows substantially along the line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

In Fig. 1 of the drawings, I have shown a lubricant compressor embodying the present invention with the parts in assembled relation. The com.- pressor is preferably enclosed in a decorative and protective housing l0, more completely disclosed in the application of Charles A. Fine, Serial No.

289,209, flied August 9, 1939.

The compressor unit and associated parts are supported within the housing above the lubricant drum on a pair of radially extending arms l2 and I4. Arm I4 is secured to a rod l6 which telescopes within a vertically extending tube I3. Tube I8 is attached at its lower end to the base of the housing Ill and is supported at its upper is a fractional longitudinal sectional view;

flexible hose 28 with the inlet side of a reciprocating air motor 30. This air motor, which may be the type shown in U. S, Patent No. 2,022,232 issued to Ernest W. iDavis, causes a piston rod 32 to reciprocate as 'air under pressure is alternately admitted to and discharged from opposite sides of a piston, not shown, confined within a cylinder forming a portion of the air motor. The reciprocable rod 32, which also forms the pump rod for the high pressure stage-of the compressor, is secured to'a crosshead 34 which, in turn, is secured to a second pump rod 36. The two rods 32' and 36, therefore, reciprocate together as the piston of the air motor 30 is reciprocated.

The rod 36 extends vertically into a casting 38, the opening in the casting through which this rod extends being sealed by a suitable packing gland 40. #Within the casting 38, the lower end of the rod 361s connected by a threaded coupling member 42 to a similar pump rod 44 which extends downwardly througha concentric tube 46, 'the upper end of which is threaded into the casting 38. At its lower end, the tube 46 is threaded into a priming cylinder 48 positioned near the j 'flxed to the rod 44. The lower fiat surface of 'the cup-shaped piston 54 that rests against the circular plate 56 is perforated as at 51'. Thus,

as the rod 44 moves downwardly, the piston 5% will move upwardly slightly relative to the plate 56, thereby permitting lubricant in the lower portion of the cylinder to flow around the edges of the plate 56, through the perforations in the pis- 2 ton 54 and into the upper portion of the priming cylinder. Upon upward movement of the rod 44, the piston 54 will rest against the plate 55, thus sealing the perforations in the piston with the result that lubricant in the upper portion of the priming cylinder is forced to move through the tube 46 and into a. chamber 58 provided in the casting 38 at the upper end of the tube.

Meanwhile, as the priming piston moves upwardly, lubricant in the drum and surrounding the lower end of the pump cylinder will be forced by the atmospheric pressure upon the lubricant into the lower portion of the cylinder through the foot valve 52. Upon a downward stroke of the piston 54, the-foot valve 52 will close and in the manner previously described, the lubricant in the lower portion of the priming cylinder 48 will be transferred through the perforations in the piston 54 to the upper portion of the priming cylinder. Lubricant thus forced upwardly through the tube 48 and into the chamber 58 is conveyed by a passage 50 into an annular space 64 surrounding a high pressure cylinder 62. The passage 88 is formed by drilling the casting 38, from the lefthand side as seen in Figure 2, the outward end of this passage being closed by .a plug 8i. From the annular space 54, the lubricatn passes into the high pressure cylinder through a port 56 in the cylinder side wall located below the upper position of the piston 32.

The discharge end of the high pressure cylinder 62 is sealed by a normally closed spring pressed ball valve 68. This ball valve is positioned in a chamber 18 at the lower end of the cylinder 82 which communicates by means of a passage 12 with pipe fittings 14. A flexible hose I is connected at one end to the fittings I4 and at its opposite end communicates with a lubricant coupler 18 through a manually controllable valve 88.

The rod 44 projects downwardly beyond the 'piston 54, a distance somewhat greater than the tends downwardly nearly to the priming cylinder 48 and permits lubricant, fed by the priming cylinder in excess of that required by the high pressure cylinder 82, to flow back to the lubricant container. However, since this tube is of comparatively small diameter and of considerable length, it offers suflicient resistance to the flow of lubricant therethrough so that lubricant is forced by the priming cylinder under a positive pressure to the high pressure cylinder 82.

After a drum of lubricant has been placed Q within the housing I and the pump-lowered to length of stroke of the priming piston and is secured at its end to a second piston 82 which fits within a cylindrical recess 84 provided in the end cap 50 beneath the foot valve 52. The recess 84 is short in depth compared to the stroke of the piston 82 which reciprocates withthe piston 54 and thus, as the piston 82 nears the upper endaof its stroke, it will enter the recess 84, but at other times the piston 82 will be beyond the lower end of the cap 50. This piston which is larger in area than the priming piston 54 is fitted comparatively loosely-with respect to the side walls of the,recess 84 so as to provide an annular space between the two of approximately .045-to .050 of an inch.

The purposeof the piston priming piston 54 in its function of filling the lower portion of cylinder 48. That is, in barrel pumps of the general type shown, wherein the inlet opening of the pump is surrounded by a large mass of lubricant, the lubricant is likely to fail to flow into the inlet opening during the short interval of time taken by the priming piston 54 in moving upwardly. This difficulty is particularly troublesome with what are known as fibrous lubricants. The piston 82 in conjunction with the recess 84 overcomes the above mentioned diflicultyin a manner to be pointed out subsequently. I

Referring tofFig. 3, it will be seen that the chamber 58 in the casting 38 is connected through a downwardly extending passage 86 to a tube 88 of comparatively small diameter. This tube exa2 is toaid the e the lower portion of the priming cylinder.

the position shown in Fig. 1, the device operates in the following manner:

The motor 38, receiving compressed air from the hose 28, causes the piston rods 32 and 44 to reciprocate together. As piston 54 moves upwardly it creates a semivacuum in the priming cylinder 48, thus lifting the foot valve 52 and causing lubricant in the drum 48 to flow into The simultaneous upward movement of the piston 82 aids in conveying a quantity of the lubricant to the inlet of the priming cylinder. Upon the succeeding downward stroke, the foot valve 52 is closed and piston 54 rises against the shoulder 55 and permits lubricant in the lower portion of priming cylinder 48 to fiow through the aper-.

wardly out of its recess 84, thus producing a substantial semivacuum at the inlet opening, inasmuch as this piston is solid and of comparatively large volume. Lubricant around the inlet opening therefore tends to flow into the recess 84 during the downward stroke as well as during the upward stroke. In compressors of this general nature the downward stroke is comparatively slow, since it is during this stroke that the high pressure cylinder 82 is being emptied against a heavy back pressure, and it will be seen, therefore, that the lubricant will have a comparatively long interval in which to flow into and fill the recess 84. Also the downward movement of piston 82 stirs the semifiuid lubricant and aids in causingit more readily to flow into the recess 84. The result is that at the lower end of the pump stroke, the recess 84 iswell filled and the piston 82 is well buried within the body of the lubricant mass.

Upon the next succeeding upward stroke of the pump, a quantity of the lubricant above the piston 82 is carried upwardly with this piston. It has very little tendency to flow to the side away from the inlet opening of the pump, inasmuch as the simultaneous upward movement of piston 54 creates a vacuum in the lower portion of the priming pump cylinder and at the inlet opening of this cylinder. In other words, a charge of lubricant is urged upwardly, both by the piston 82 beneath this charge and by the vacuum above the charge. The lubricant thus flowing into the inlet opening of the pump will substantially fill the portion of the priming cylinder below the piston 54. 84 the lubricant below the piston 54 will be placed under a positive pressure inasmuch as piston 82 displaces more lubricant upwardly than does the piston 54. After the priming cylinder has been packed, the excess lubricant flows downwardly around the edges of the piston 82.

Lubricant forced upwardly through the tube 45 by the priming piston passes through the chamber 58, passages 58 and 84, and port 85 into the high pressure cylinder 82. The quantity of As the piston.82 enters the recess lubricant displaced upwardly by the piston 54 is considerably in excess of that which the high pressure cylinder 6i can receive, the excess being diverted through the passage 86 and relief pipe 88 to return to the lubricant drum. However, the .tube 88 being of comparatively small diameter and of considerable length ofiers suificient resistance to the flow of lubricant there'- through, so that although excess lubricant can return through this pipe, yet lubricant is forced into the high pressure cylinder 62 under positive pressure, thus insuring the cylinder 62 receiving a full charge with each stroke of the pump.

The downward movement of the high pressure piston 32 closes the port 66 and forces the lubriton secured to said rod in a position that is beyond the end of said member during at least a portion of the stroke of the piston rod and a check valve situated in said member between the thereof, a piston secured to said rod beyond the end of said cylinder and adapted to take a position below the lower end of the cylindrical excant remaining in the high pressure cylinder .62

past the spring-pressed check valve 68 and into the chamber 10 from whence it flows through the passage 12, fitting 1A, flexible hose l6, and to the coupler 18 through the control valve 80.

From the above description of aprei'erred embodiment of my invention, it will be seen that I have. provided a barrel pump which may be manufactured at relatively'low cost and which is well adapted to handle lubricant materials of high viscosity, as well as fibrous lubricants. It is apparent also that the pump of the present invention is much less likely to become airbound than pumps now generallyin use and that in said cylinder and carried by said rod, said 7 member having a cylindrical extension at one end thereof, a piston secured to said rod beyond the end or .said cylinder and adapted to take a position below the lower end of the cylindrical extension during a portion of the stroke of said rod and adapted to move into said cylindrical extension when the piston rod approaches one end of its stroke, a flow passage connecting said cylinder with said cylindrical extension, and a check valve situated in said flow passage.

2. In a lubricant compressor of the class described, a member having a vertical cylinder:

therein, a piston rod extending axially through said cylinder and reciprocable therein, means above said cylinder to reciprocate said piston rod, valved piston means located in said cylinder and carried by said rod, said member having a cylindrical extension at the lower end thereof, a piston secured to the lower end of said rod beyond the end of said cylinder and adapted to take a position below the lower end or the cylindrical extension during a portion oi the stroke or said rod and adapted to move upwardly into said cylindrical extension when the piston rod.

approaches the upper end or its stroke, a .flow passage connecting said cylinder with saidcylindrical extensionand a check valve said flow passage.

' sion when the piston rod approaches one end of tension during a portion of the stroke of said rod and adapted to move into said cylindrical extenits stroke, a flow passage connecting said cylinder with said cylindrical extension, a check valve situated in said flow passage, and the diameter of said cylindrical extension being greater than the diameter of said cylinder.

5. In a lubricant compressor of the class described, a memberhaving a cylinder therein, a piston rod extending through said cylinder and reciprocable therein, valved piston means located situated'in 3. In a lubricant compressor of the class dea member having a cylinder therein, a

piston rod extending through said cylinder and in said cylinder and carried by said rod, said member having a cylindrical extension at the lower end thereof, a piston secured to the lower end of said .rod beyond the end of said cylinder and adapted to take a position below the lower end of the cylindrical extension during a portion of the stroke of said rod and adapted to move into said cylindrical extension when the piston rod approaches one end of its stroke, a flow passage connecting said cylinder with said cylindrical extension, 2. check valve situated in said flow passage, and thediameter of said cylindrical ex-.

tension being approximately one-tenth of an inch greater than the diameter of the last said piston.

6. In a. lubricant compressor, a member having a first cylinder therein and a second cylinder therein below said first cylinder and passage means connecting said cylinders, said cylinders being in alignment and the second of said 'cylinders being of greater diameter than the first of said cylinders, a reciprocable piston rod extending axially through the first of said cylinders and into the second of said cylinders, a first piston on said rod located in said first cylinder, check valve mechanism associated with said first piston adapted to permit upward flow but'to prevent downward flow of fluid relative to said piston, a second piston on said rod located in said second cylinder, second check 'va1ve-means in said passage means adapted to permit fluid .to

pass from said second cylinder to said first cylinuum within the second cylinder upon initiald'ownward movement of the piston rod and until the second piston passes said inlet, thus tend-.

ing to causefluid in the mass to surge into said inlet when said second piston passes said inlet, and said second piston being adapted to permit the escape of fluid in excess of the capacity of said first cylinder downwardly relative to said second piston during upward movement 0! said pistonrod.

7. In a lubricant compressor, a member having a. first cylinder therein and a second cylinder inders and the second of said cylinders being or greater diameter than the first of said cylinders, a first piston in said first cylinder, a second piston in said second cylinder, a piston rod connecting said pistons so that said pistons reciptherein, and passage means connecting said cylinder, said second cylinder having an inlet adaptedtoconmunicatewithamassoffluidtobe pumped, said inlet being adapted to be uncovered by said second piston after said second piston has moved a predetermined distance away from said second check valve means so that a partial vacuum, is produced within said second cylinder upon initial outward movement of said second piston before said second piston reaches said inlet, thus tending to cause fluid in said mass to surge into said inlet when said second piston passes said inlet, and said second piston being adapted to permit the escape of fluid in excess or the capacity of said first cylinder during inward movement 01 said pistons.

REUBEN WEDEBERG. 

